“The governor said things at times that weren’t true,” Gingrich elaborated.

Despite being pushed on the question by Blitzer, Gingrich just shrugged and declined to say the word “liar.”

Back in January, Gingrich had no qualms about making the accusation. “You’re calling Mitt Romney a liar?” asked correspondent Norah O’Donnell then.

“Well, you seemed shocked by it. Yes,” Gingrich responded.

On Thursday, Gingrich tried to put on a less confrontational — if still slightly bitter — attitude towards the presumptive Republican nominee. He said he would “trust Mitt Romney a thousand times over” compared to President Barack Obama, andwould even campaign for the former Massachusetts governor.

Yet Gingrich couldn’t resist one more dig at his former opponent, adding, “This is a comparative business. And our choice isn’t Mitt Romney or Ronald Reagan.”